Grants Policy
Potterhanworth Parish Council is keen to support local organisations that provide a benefit to the parish or its residents. A grant is any payment or gift made by the Parish Council to an organisation for a specific purpose. All grants given must directly benefit some or all of the parish or its inhabitants and the benefit must be commensurate with expenditure.
Grants are awarded at the Parish Council’s discretion to organisations which can demonstrate a clear need for financial support to achieve an objective which will benefit the Parish by: -
- Providing a service
- Enhancing the quality of life
- Improving the environment and promoting the Parish in a positive way
- A small-scale capital expenditure such as purchase of special equipment
The Parish Council will NOT award grants to: -
• Individuals,
• Commercial organisations,
• Purposes for which there is a statutory duty upon other local or central government departments to fund or provide,
• Upward funders - i.e. local groups where funds are redistributed by them or a central body.
• Political parties,
• Religious organisations - unless for a purpose which does not discriminate on grounds of belief.
This list is not exclusive and may be added to at the Parish Council’s discretion. Only one grant will be awarded to an organisation in any one year, unless there are exceptional circumstances.
All applications are judged on their own merits each year. Ongoing commitments to award grants in future years cannot be made. Grantees who received grants in preceding years cannot guarantee future applications. Grants will not be made retrospectively.
Applications must be submitted on the Council’s application form and returned to the RFO.
Organisations requesting financial assistance are required to submit an application on the prescribed form by the end of November. Organisations will usually be expected to have a written constitution and a separate bank account controlled by more than one signatory.
All requests received will be assessed at the Parish Council’s annual budgeting meeting prior to approval by the Parish Council at the January meeting. The Parish Council may make the award of a grant subject to additional conditions and requirements as it considers appropriate. The Parish Council reserves the right to refuse any grant application which it considers to be inappropriate, or against the objectives of the Council.
A grant award must only be used for the purpose stated on the application.
If the organisation is unable to use the money or any part of it for the purpose stated, all monies or unexpended monies must be returned to the Parish Council. The Parish Council may request proof of expenditure.
Organisations receiving grants are required to advise their users/members that the grant or equipment has been received from Potterhanworth Parish Council.
Where equipment is gifted to an organisation, the Parish Council requires that it be insured and maintained at the expense of the user.
Organisations will be advised on the success of their application by the following February.
Payment of the grant will be made by the following April.